This part of Texas has been having torrential rain, tornadoes and floods. We’ve been closely monitoring local weather as we make plans and have been lucky. We stayed off interstates and headed towards Bandera (known as the “Cowboy City” and appropriately hosting a Memorial weekend rodeo), and then onward to Comfort. Comfort bills itself as “An Antique Town” and I thought that might refer to the vintage of the place, but actually, I saw quite a few really enticing-looking antique shops. But, between Sunday hours and an unenthused travel partner, we had to move on. We continued on the Texas Hill Country Trail into the quaint German town of Fredericksburg in search of some good brisket for lunch (which we did find).
Texas Hill Country.
This is a beautiful part of Texas, gently rolling hills, lush green fields (probably from all the recent rains), wildflowers and lots of ranches with cattle and goats, but no oil wells. I loved seeing the names of the ranches and wish I had made note of them all along; Indian Springs, Rattlesnake, and Happy H are three that come to mind.
The area near Fredericksburg is home to much of the Texas wine country. I know there is also at least one bourbon distillery tucked in among the wineries.
Luckenbach music fest!
We just had to go by Luckenbach, made famous by the Waylon Jennings song, this day hosting a big music fest in their dance hall. That’s pretty much the entire town, the dance hall. The Trail continued, leading us through Johnson City, home of LBJ and finally into Austin.
The weather was cloudy but nice in Austin, and expected to turn ugly the following midday. We seized the opportunity to see the University of Texas campus (I still prefer the other UT!), as well as explore the major areas of commerce, shops, music and restaurants. We eventually worked our way down to the area known as SOCO (South of Congress) and had dinner. Austin has a great reputation as a major foodie town with more than 3,000 restaurants. We managed to dine at one I considered overpriced and overrated (even though highly recommended).
Our second day in Austin was destined to be dedicated to the mundane chore of getting laundry done (a feat seemingly beyond the ability of our hotel’s for the last four nights), reading and maybe getting to a movie. We did manage to get a nice walk in during the morning hours, checking out the beautiful state capitol building.
Texas State Capitol.
It was no surprise when we entered the building we had to go through a scanner. What was a surprise is that I even had to take the Kleenex out of my pocket. They even wanted used Kleenex . . . but I threw that away. The female Ranger told me very sternly, “Mam, we don’t just screen for metal.”
Our movie intentions were abandoned when the weather kept getting worse. Even as a Floridian, I’ve never experienced rain any harder or as many lightning strikes (68K+ in one hour). The newscasters here are talking about “unprecedented flooding” and we are just happy to be back in the beautiful, historic Hotel Ella, which is fortunately equipped with a nice restaurant and a bar, which we are headed to now . . . .
Hotel Ella, originally completed in 1900. Ella Wooten asked the Vanderbilts who did their columns for the Biltmore in Asheville – and gave up a European vacation to pay for them. Neiman Marcus did the decor for $10,000.
Daily Trivia Questions (answers next post):
Which capitol building is taller, the US or Texas?
How high is the star at the center of the rotunda in the Texas capitol building?
Last post’s trivia answers:
What state was David Crockett from? Tennessee
How long is the River Walk? The downtown portion is approximately 5 miles. New extensions, however, are returning more of the river (previously straightened) to its natural bends and flow, almost doubling the length of the public access
Well, our phones just gave us our first emergency tornado warning. It was the loudest sound I have ever heard coming from my phone.
Fortunately, we had dinner in our hotel tonight and planned to stay close due to the forecast. The local weather forecasting is amazing. They have interrupted stations with continuous coverage and updates. The radar, live shots and detailed reporting is extremely thorough. Power is out already in portions of this county, but our computers and phones are charged and ready.
Despite this, we are really enjoying San Antonio.
The River Walk experience is near perfect – almost Disneyesque.
It’s fun and tranquil all at the same time. In our first 30 seconds, we encountered a wedding in a beautiful setting right outside our hotel. Its Memorial Day weekend so it’s a lively, friendly crowd. But unlike New Orleans, it’s not a rowdy crowd. There are lots of families and young couples, and we’ve seen dozens of young Air Force cadets (with their parents), newly “graduated” from the nearby Lackland Air Force Base.
If you look among all the touristy Mexican restaurants, there is some serious fine dining in this area as well as around town.
We are staying right on the River Walk, so it’s very convenient.
Just a short walk, and a few steps up, and you are in a vibrant downtown. I’m sure the kids are thrilled to see the horse-drawn buggies all lit-up like Cinderella’s carriage.
The Alamo, originally the Mission San Antonio de Valero, was constructed on this site beginning in 1724. The famous 13-day battle that took the lives of James Bowie and David Crockett took place in 1836.
We’ve taken in the Alamo (within walking distance), and also driven to see the other four missions the Spanish established in this area. The five missions together comprise the largest concentration of colonial missions in North America. Run by Franciscan Priests, they are all close to the river, with the farthest about 12 miles from downtown.
San Antonio also has a large Historic District, the King William, just south of downtown. The area has beautifully restored homes, some palatial and others small, fanciful cottages. It is a charming area, definitely worth seeing.
We are impressed with San Antonio, it seems to be a very livable city with friendly, likeable residents.
And, the weather crisis seems to have passed . . . at least until tomorrow.
Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Mission Espada.
Mission San Jose.
Mission Concepcion.
Daily Trivia Questions (answers next post):
What state was David Crockett from?
How long is the River Walk?
Last post’s trivia answers:
What two countries were not occupied by the Germans during WWII? Switzerland and Spain
On what date did Germany unconditionally surrender in WWII? May 7, 1945
Landing craft used for amphibious landings of troops and equipment in WWII were built by Andrew Higgins and Higgins Industries of New Orleans. Originally opened as the D-Day Museum, The National WWII Museum founding historian Stephen Ambrose (of Band of Brothers fame), wished to pay tribute to Higgins. That is the reason this museum is in New Orleans.
On par with the 911 Memorial in NYC, The National WWII Museum is a must-see for every school-age child and adult. It is a reason to come to New Orleans.
The completely interactive facility issues each participant a “dog tag” and the option to follow a soldier through the exhibits. You can select your own or let the computer take care of it. In any case, these are real men and women. I let the computer choose, and followed a Japanese-American medic through his experience in Europe and as a German POW.
All Aboard!
You begin your journey boarding a Union-Pacific train to your basic training location. This museum is high-tech and uses all the latest bells and whistles to bring history to life. If you think you knew everything about WWII, guess again. Not only are the exhibits, videos, oral histories, memorabilia and re-creations incredibly informative, the experience can be very emotional when you picture relatives who served and try to imagine what they went through.
The museum is officially recognized by Congress and is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program, but is an independent not-for-profit. The delightful volunteer docents were readily available to fill in the blanks and answer questions. The campus has four buildings, a parade area, and the Liberation Pavilion is in the planning stages. Each building has ample bathrooms and plenty of spots to sit.
An added bonus is the inclusion of a couple of quality spots to eat. The American Sector café has outstanding food and service (and, naturally, a complete bar).
Through the years, many of my friends and I have discussed that our Fathers never really talked about the war. Now we can understand.
During the “Final Mission” – the USS Tang Submarine Experience, I ‘represented’ Pete Narowanski on the Torpedo Data Computer. He was one of only 9 survivors.
Need to know:
General admission tickets $23, $20 for Seniors, and $14 for Students & Military; WWII Vets, free. Options include “Final Mission” interactive submarine experience and “Beyond All Boundaries” a 45 minute 4D movie. The movie can be added at any time. For details and info: www.nationalww2museum.org
Daily Trivia Questions (answers next post):
Name two countries not occupied by Germany during WWII?
On what date did Germany unconditionally surrender in WWII?
Last post’s trivia answers:
Which Manning has a home in the Garden District? Archie
How much does NOLA charge for a shot of Pappy Van Winkle’s? $135
Jackson Square.
A wedding party NOLA-style; from the church to the reception, singing down the street followed by a lively brass marching band.
There is a new word I’ve learned while back in New Orleans, lagniappe. It means “a little something extra.” Some say it describes the “attitude” or “vibe” here. Thought to be Spanish in origin, pronounced “lanny-yap” I think it’s an appropriate adjective.
Everything here is a bit exaggerated.
Certainly the weather has also fit the moniker. I can’t think when I’ve been this hot and sticky. But I am not complaining. Even though New Orleans is humid, we’ve been lucky as the weather held up and we had a sunny day for our walking tour of the Garden District.
St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line, a National Historic Landmark, the oldest continually running streetcar in the world.
We started with a mad dash to the Café Du Monde for some of their fabulous warm beignets, and then caught the St. Charles Streetcar to the Garden District. Our tour started in the Lafayette Cemetery No.1 and wandered up and down the lovely residential streets of the District. The homes and gardens were beautifully restored and maintained, and the live oak trees simply majestic.
The history here really is amazing, interesting and there is always something new to learn. In Miami-Dade, we work so hard to protect, save and preserve what little history we still have, while here history is everywhere you turn. There are more than 20 preservation groups, and we saw restoration work on practically every block (even, inconveniently, in our hotel).
We used “Historic New Orleans Tours”, who promise facts-not sensationalism, and I thought our guide did a good job.
Afterwards, we walked over to Magazine Street, grabbed a Po’ Boy sandwich (which is really about the crunchy bread) for lunch, and eventually made our way back to a streetcar stop. Once on, we stayed for the entire historic St. Charles route, seeing even more beautiful homes; some charming, some cute; mansions and shotgun bungalows; Loyola and Tulane Universities; and Audubon Park, before arriving back at Canal Street.
Eventually, we worked our way back to the riverfront, quickly checked out the Harrah’s Casino, and made an even quicker stop by the historic French Market (featuring unappealing flea market merchandise). Finally, we checked out nearby Frenchman’s Street, considered by some to be a trendy music/artistic area.
For dinner we feasted at Emeril’s fabulous NOLA. They even have Pappy Van Winkle’s on the menu.
“Laissez les bons temps rouler!”
The Vieux Carre (French Quarter).
Mardi Gras was three months ago, but they say they have better things to do than get the beads out of the trees.
Garden District.
Family crypts in the Lafayette Cemetery No.1. I should’ve given them some cleaning tips!
Daily Trivia Questions (answers next post):
Which Manning has a home in the Garden District?
How much does NOLA charge for a shot of Pappy Van Winkle’s?
Last post’s trivia answers:
Which celebrity has a home in New Orleans? Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Nicholas Cage All 3.
